As a passionate football fan, I followed every match of the Northern Conference at the recently concluded NNL Super 8 tournament, which determined promotion to the Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL). I watched Wikki Tourists, Doma United, Barau FC, and Yobe Desert Stars compete—but what happened to Yobe Desert Stars was deeply unfair.
From my perspective, Yobe Desert Stars had clearly earned promotion. Their performances were strong, and they showed they were better than Barau FC. Unfortunately, their opportunity was taken away—not on the pitch, but through biased officiating and decisions influenced by officials of the NNL.
In the match against Barau FC, Yobe were denied at least three clear penalties. These were not judgment errors, but deliberate omissions that appeared to follow instructions from above. On multiple occasions, Yobe’s attacks were stopped by questionable offside calls or fouls that only the referee seemed to see. It was as if the match officials were determined to prevent Yobe from winning.
If Yobe had been allowed to win that match, they would have secured 6 points—3 from beating Doma United and 3 from Barau FC—guaranteeing promotion before the final round. But due to what can only be described as bias, nepotism, and selfish interests, the NNL Board manipulated outcomes to favor Barau FC instead.
Clubs struggle tremendously to reach the Super 8—traveling from state to state with limited or no financial support from the league. Yet, despite all this sacrifice, it seems promotion can be bought by those who make the right “promises” to the right people.
It is widely rumored that both Wikki Tourists and Barau FC were promised promotion before the tournament even began, allegedly because of large financial inducements from powerful individuals. If this is true, it undermines the integrity of Nigerian football and betrays the efforts of honest clubs like Yobe Desert Stars.
This is a call to all stakeholders: the NNL, the NFF, and especially state governments funding clubs. You are wasting public resources if promotion is not based on merit. The only people benefiting are officials who profit from the system. There can be no progress if clubs are denied their rightful rewards.
I am not from Yobe, but what happened to Yobe Desert Stars was plain to see—an injustice that should not go unchallenged. Only God can rescue Nigerian football from this path. We must demand fairness, transparency, and equal opportunity for all clubs. Only then will our leagues truly serve the next generation of players and fans.
Sorry, Yobe Desert Stars. You deserved better.
Yours,
Abdullahi Usman
